Ilia Topuria had a big night at UFC 317. He knocked out Charles Oliveira in the first round to win the UFC Lightweight Championship. The fight ended quickly when Topuria landed a strong right hand followed by a left that finished the job.
Right after the win, things got tense. Paddy Pimblett, another popular UFC fighter, entered the cage during Topuria’s post-fight interview. Pimblett told him, “That was a heavy knockout, but you will never knock me out.”
Topuria didn’t stay quiet. He got angry, shouted back with insults, and then shoved Pimblett. Security quickly stepped in and stopped things from getting worse.
This isn’t the first time these two have had problems. Their rivalry started back in 2022 when Pimblett hit Topuria with a hand sanitizer bottle backstage at an event in London. Since then, there’s been bad blood between them.
Now that Topuria is the new champion, many fans want to see him fight Pimblett next. However, the UFC may first give Topuria a title defense against top contender Arman Tsarukyan. Still, a Topuria vs. Pimblett fight is looking very possible especially after their intense face-off.
'Who The F*** Is He?': Ilia Topuria Unleashes Verbal Attack On Paddy Pimblett Ahead Of UFC 317; Video
Former UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has now officially moved up to the lightweight division, but that hasn’t dulled his intensity, especially when it comes to Paddy Pimblett. In a fiery statement that has stirred the MMA world, Topuria didn’t hold back, reigniting a long-standing feud with the English star.
“Who the f*** is Paddy Pimblett right now?” Topuria lashed out during a recent interview. “Honestly, if I could choose a fight, I’d fight him because I hate him. He’s a pain in the ass.” Topuria and Pimblett’s bad blood goes back to UFC London in 2022, when they nearly came to blows during fight week. Though they were in different weight classes at the time, Topuria at featherweight and Pimblett at lightweight, the altercation hinted at a bitter rivalry waiting to explode. Now that Topuria has transitioned to lightweight following his featherweight title reign, the door for that long-teased grudge match is wide open.
Ilia Topuria, who captured the featherweight title by defeating Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024, vacated the belt after expressing a desire to chase new challenges. His move to 155 pounds brings him into the same division as Pimblett, making a potential showdown more realistic than ever.
A fight between Topuria and Pimblett would likely draw massive attention, given their personal history and contrasting styles. Though the UFC has not yet announced any plans to match them up, the narrative is building, and both fighters have shown an interest in settling their differences inside the Octagon.
